Shine
by TheLadyMuse
Summary: Times when the Bat Clan shine somewhere other than the battlefield, and insinuates godly traits. Maybe. And Martha Wayne's pearls get their own tag for a reason.
1. Prologue

Of all the things that surprised the Bat Clan, Jason's abilities as civilian did most. Perhaps it wasn't too surprising that he could cook, and loved to read, but it was his musical ability that shocked most of all. Especially when he returned to Manor, Addy in tow, and began fooling around with the instruments in the Manor.

But the surprises didn't stop there. It was, in fact, Jason who organized a Yule gathering, ordering Bruce to 'get over himself' and practice singing a song the former Robin had demanded he sing. Bruce was, after all, a talented singer, able to oscillate his vocal pitch as needed.

Jason himself hadn't known what song the other man would sing, had been surprised Bruce when he'd come across Jason and Addy dancing in the library as Jason sang softly, Addy giggling as she gazed up at him as he guided her through a foxtrot, a smartphone emitting a gentle tune from the tabletop, nothing Bruce has heard, so probably something Jason found. Or maybe he wrote and performed it for just this.

So Bruce changes tack. Instead of requesting further help from Jason, he observes that his other sons have gotten into the spirit of Yuletide festivities, and recruits the others for a thank you surprise for their returned prodigal.

Addy and Selina quickly get onboard, both aware Jason planned Yule for them, and even Alfred is coaxed into helping. Which is why, when Jason sits down to the upright piano in the informal parlour, instead of Christmas tunes or the old Yule rhythms, Addy switches the papers, kisses his temple and leans against his shoulders, humming deep in her throat, prompting Jason to begin, and then one by one, the extended Batclan begins, to sing.

It is neither happy nor sad, bouncy beat but serious words, a full harmony filling the room with a sense of euphoria, Damian strumming a guitar and Tim pulling out a flute, both drifting to Jason, grinning when the man continues playing once the song is over, and he starts a new song, both boys scrambling to catch up.

Addy turns pages, face buried in black hair as Selina, Bruce, Alfred, Dick and Babs stare in astonishment, Cass and Stephanie completely bewildered. Jason just keeps going, fingers dancing over the ivories until a breathless Tim halts, panting, Damian not far behind. The pianist himself leans back into waiting arms of the woman at his back, who murmurs in his ear

"Wonderful, Jason."

And Yule devolves into a family frenzy, but Bruce has already noted how much closer Damian sticks to his brothers, both the youngest Robins looking at Jason like a hero when he offers to play with them more.

Several days later, on December 28, the League and the Team are called to Watchtower, where a distinctly uncomfortable Red Hawk, Red Robin and Robin, are waiting on a stage, Red Hawk seated at a keyboard, while Red Robin stands in front of a mic. Robin was scowling at them from where he stood with his guitar, while the other Bats, Catwoman and an elderly man in a mask stood in a knot.

One thing Diana notices immediately is the string of pearls around Catwoman's neck. And then Batman escorts the antihero to center of the floor, and he began to sing, smiling when Shadowcat emerged from the shadows before producing a lap harp, perching on the edge of the stage and singing softly, smiling when Catwoman made a shooing motion. Diana _ached_ when she realized that Red Hawk was smiling down at Shadowcat, beaming when she pulled herself up onto the stage and seating herself on the edge of the bench he was seated at.

The Robins both smiled when they noticed that Bats and the Cat were dancing alongside Nightwing and Batgirl. Alfred was alarmed to be pulled into a dance without warning, smiling slightly when he realized it was Cass, while Steph grinned as she danced by herself.

Jason couldn't have been happier to hand music over to DJ Dick, whisking Addy away for a dance, taking a deep pleasure in the envy he was receiving as he and Addy danced in the light of the stars amidst their family and friends.

"Guess all that time we spent dancing together paid off." an impish smile directed at him, mischievous eyes masked above it, he looked down at her, heart heavy with love and joy as he returned

"Yeah, it did." and though he won't say it, not here, crawling out of the Lazarus pit and into her lap has paid off still further.

Glad he had foregone the helmet when he returned to the family, Jason ducked his head and pulled his fairy into a kiss. With a moan, she arched into him, gloved hands tunneling in his hair.

"Ahem." Jason cups Addy's head, his own snapping up in time to growl at Superman

"Fuck off, Boy Scout." Batman, Catwoman tucked under his arm, sighs as he walks forward and hands Jason a slip of paper.

Taking it, the younger man scans the contents before he grins, tosses Addy over his shoulder and strides purposefully to the Zeta tubes, snickering when he heard Dick complain

" But he was going to take over!"

Bruce will set him straight, Jason knows.


	2. You (Richard Grayson to Barbara Gordon)

**At present, it is complete. However, I'm thinking about a project where young heroines end up falling in love with older heroes- through no fault of their own. At present, the only ones on the board are:**

 **Jason Todd/Helena Wayne**

 **Tony Stark/ Torunn Thorsdottir**

 **Amara Todd (timeshifted daughter of Jason and Atalanta)/Damian Wayne**

 **YES, I'M OBSESSED WITH JASON. GET OVER IT, HE'S HOT. For, you know, a comic character.**

When Dick Grayson was seventeen, he caught a glimpse of another world. He landed with a thump at the feet of a young girl in a purple costume. Arms crossed over her chest, the five-year-old stared down at him and his teammates, scattered over the floor of the Batcave, and she screeched

"Help!"

A lanky teenage boy, dressed in a grey suit with a red bat on his chest, a red domino mask on his face and a leather jacket hanging from his shoulders, dashed into the Cave, followed by Batman and Catwoman. Another Nightwing dropped from the rafters as two Robins- one in red, a black cape down his back, the other in green and black with a yellow cape- came barrelling in from the Batmobile entrance.

The first boy swooped in to grab the girl, scowling fiercely as he settled the toddler on an angular hip. She clasped his neck and pointed

"They scared me!" Bats growled

"Take her." The boy nodded, replying

"Understood." Before dashing away, tailed by the two Robins. The blue and black man watched carefully as the new Nightwing crumpled, staring after the eldest of the disappearing children.

"J-Jason?" Batman twitched, then barked

"How old are you, Nightwing?" Dick choked out

"Se-seventeen. Jason, he-" Catwoman clucked her tongue and said warningly

"He's known as Red Hawk here." Dick gasped for air before he blurted

"He died, where we come from." A frown on Nightwing's face, before he told his counterpart gently

"He died here too. There's hope for you though, because he rose from his grave, he didn't die and get resuscItated. Your Jason is out there somewhere." Dick nodded, cursing when he felt the same anomaly that had deposited him at the feet of Bruce's daughter roll through him again.

Batman said pointedly

"If we meet again, I will ask you about your Jason."

The words are significant, he knows, but for the life of him, Dick can't realize why too dizzy to do more than tell Bruce what happened before he passes out.

 **ELSEWHERE**

After Wally has been rescued from the Speed Force, and while Bruce is trying to figure out how to bring home Jason and integrate newly found Helena into the family, another Batman is plopped onto the table in the Watchtower meeting room.

Nightwing tilts his head and asks the grumbling man

"Batman?" The new Batman, different from this one only by the fact he is clutching a leather jacket in his hand, looks up to ask

"Jason?" Nightwing's lenses widen and he reports

"Known, alive, and disagreeing about if he has a home." Batman groaned, rolling off the table before he stretches, and introduces himself to the other Leaguers idly

"Batman of a universe where I married Catwoman." Dick notices Diana staring and asks his mentors' counterpart

"Uh, Bats, got any tips for-" He pauses when the other man flicks his gaze around, locking on Zatanna and Babs, smirking, the Batman teases

"I thought I had it bad when my daughter fell in love with my ward." Dick chokes on air, calculating the possibilities before Batman advised in a low voice

"Stay single until you know who you need to your dying breath. It's a Bat maneuver, but it works."

That… Makes Dick wonder. Who could Bruce's daughter- obviously their Helena- have fallen in love with? Not Damian, because he had said 'ward', so that left him, Tim and Jason.

Helena's _fourteen_. Tim's twenty, Jason is twenty-four and he's just passed twenty-eight. So, probably not him. Tim's pretty serious about Cass, since Stephanie had left Gotham after a mutual break up. Jason?

Nightwing goes beet red when he realizes he voiced the question. Bruce side-eyes him, and Batman sighs, before saying tiredly

"From my estimate, we're two years ahead of you, timeline wise. Jason's been home for about a year and half, and he didn't come home until after Helena got a dose of Poison Ivy's ugliest pollen and needed his help to recover. He almost left when she was better, but she convinced him to stay. He's refusing to stay full time until she's older, though."

Bruce and Dick both wince. Deadly horniness is nothing to laugh at. Clearing his throat, Bruce asks

"She's happy, though?" Batman rolled his shoulders and muttered

"They're trying to do it for real, which is good, but I could do without her pouting about what he will and won't do." Bruce and Dick go green with nausea and relief.

Jason won't hurt Helena, if they begin something in this universe, but she'll whine about him doing the right thing. And Jason and Helena and a bed… No. No, no, no, no, no, NO! Not fucking going there.

Shaking his head and wishing for brain bleach, Dick sees that Batman's body is wavering. He notes casually

"I guess your time is up." Batman shrugged and replied

"Nearly. I think someone's trying to tell you something."

That, Bruce dismisses.

A few months later, he wishes he hadn't.

 **ELSEWHERE**

Helena and Bruce were arguing in the Cave, while Damian sat at the computer and and muttered under his breath in Arabic. Tim and Dick were fiddling with their equipment while Jason lounged insolently as Alfred patched up grazes on his chest. It was a rare moment when they were all together, except Catwoman, and Helena was arguing over whether she should return to patrol.

It was as he mused that Helena was pissed that Jason was hurt that Dick felt a ripple in his gut. Shit. As Jason opened his mouth, the floor fell away to drop them in the sitting room of Wayne Manor, a yelp of surprise and the tinkling of crashing china alerting them to a presence.

Dick felt his hackles lower when he saw it was a slightly older Helena, then rise again when he realized she was heavily pregnant, like full term . Before he could do anymore, a man rushed into the room, oblivious to the visitors as he landed on his knees beside Helena, barely clear of the shards of the teacup she'd been holding.

That man… was the reason the description 'built like a brick shithouse' had been invented. He was tall, broad and black haired, blue-green eyes flashing as he took in the Bat Clan and their butler. Dressed in loose grey pants, barefoot with his feet and wrists taped, twenty-eight-year-old Jason Todd is much more intimidating than Red Hood in all his leathery glory.

"Give me a reason not to fucking eviscerate you for scaring her." Words rasped out in a gritty voice, a large hand sliding over future-Helena's much-distended abdomen. She leaned her head against his shoulder and murmured

"Jason." Eyes softening, future-Jason called over his shoulder

"Oi, get in here!" Older versions of the Bat Clan, and Alfred strolled in, grimacing as they took in their younger alternates. Future-Bruce pinched his nose, nodding when Jason seated Helena, making a face when she squirmed into Jason's lap. Future-Alfred tidied up, asking Helena a few questions before smiling reassuringly at a worried Jason.

Future-Bruce waved the others away from the trio, taunting his younger self jovially

"Guess someone really wants you to get the message across." Helena winced before she asked

"How- Why-" Future-Helena called tiredly

"You know how. You can't be a teenager in Gotham and not. As for why-" She grimaced, turning her face into Jason's neck, whimpering when her belly rippled. He spoke in a low, calm voice, rubbing her back gently. Future-Helena explained

"Braxton-Hicks, they get worse as the baby gets bigger. As I was saying, the why has been confusing all Gotham. See, Jason had to go undercover to get the drop on a crime ring, so he went back to being the Red Hood. I told him before he went, that, uh-" She paused as another contraction ripped through her body. She panted through the contraction, not seeing the way future-Jason hung his head against her shoulder. Future-Helena sighed and huffed

"I hate false labor!" She grumbled at the man holding her before she finished her explanation

"Setting myself up for the Red Hood as Huntress bought him some cred, but not enough. I told him that if he needed something else, he could abduct my civilian persona, because I did- and do- trust him with my life. I knew what he'd have to do, so I made preparations, but they didn't hold up, which is why I ended up like this." Helena approached carefully, looking awed.

"You knew what could happen, and you still did it?" Future-Helena gripped future-Jason's hand and nodded, quipping

"I knew the kid was going to be huge, too, but I couldn't let it go." Helena squeaked

"Huge? How big-" Future-Helena grinned, eyes softening when future-Jason buried his face in her neck. Still smiling, the eighteen year old confided

"Jason's nearly as big as Dad, so I was pretty sure the kid would be at least nine pounds, but we're looking at closer to eleven." Helena was wide eyed, watching as future-Jason pulled her future self closer still. Carefully, future-Helena looked her younger counterpart in the eye and levered herself out of future-Jason's lap, standing to rest her hands on the other girl's shoulders and speak firmly

"Hey. I knew what I was I doing, knew what the possible consequences would be. I made the decision that if Jason was willing to do something so risky, I could risk my own neck. I was aware that there was probably going to be problems, that Jason couldn't remain with me at all times, that my precautions might not do what I needed them to. I made the decision to keep the kid when I realized I was pregnant, in the window I had to get rid of it. You aren't me, and the Jason you know isn't the one who I gave myself to. You have your own decisions to make, and I don't know who thinks showing you one of infinite futures is a good idea, but know this: Jason is worth it." Damian snorted, glaring when his future self elbowed him. Future-Helena switched her gaze from her younger counterpart to the younger Jason and repeated

"Worth every moment, Jason. No matter the world you inhabit." Future-Jason rose on heavy feet, scooping future-Helena into his arms before shooting over his shoulder as he walked away

"She can be a brat, but she's right. She's worth every moment, especially for gutter rats like us."

Bruce watched in a daze as his second son carted away his daughter, trying in vain to process what he'd seen when the floor wavered again. With a muttered curse, he fell through the floor again, this time into his own Manor sitting room.

Jason was still shellshocked, so when Helena put her hands on her hips and demanded

"What did he mean, gutter rats? You're Jason, not a rat!" The poor man collapsed into laughter, wincing when he pulled his stitches. Shaking his head, Bruce walked away to consider what he'd seen. Would something like this happen again?

 **ELSEWHERE**

It did, by the by. Jason and Helena's sons met up on parallel missions ten years after the one on this side was born, freaking out everyone but both Damian's, the team leaders.

 **I'm trying to reach 100,000 words by December. Prompts, ideas, trivia?**


	3. You (Jason Todd to Atalanta Kyle)

**Another songfic. This one is another song entitled 'You' and Jason just kind claimed it without letting me change my mind. 'You' as performed by Robin Stjernberg. Go take a listen, because it's a beautiful piece, melodic and dramatic without actually being sad.**

That's how, not a few weeks later, Babs has dragged Addy through a bunch of boutiques and dress stores, eventually finding a gorgeous dress. Addy thinks nothing of it, not until she has to accompany Jason to represent the Wayne Family in Washington. Why she has to go when every other Wayne will be in attendance, she doesn't know.

And then… Music plays as Jason drags her onto the dance floor, singing into a mic that's been discreetly placed on his lapel.

Hey, do you remember  
How we would stay up all night  
Talking 'bout a destiny  
And I play the piano, and you would strum on your guitar  
Those were the days 

Addy looked up at Jason, caught in the moment, her hand in his larger one, his other hand on her hip. She took in the fit of his tux, the way his hair fell over his forehead, the way his eyes shone as he looked at her like she was a treasure.

If only you could see me now, I live my dream; I owe it all to you  
I owe it to you ooo  
Isn't it crazy, yeah Isn't it crazy  
It's all because of you ooo, all because of you ooo  
They'd done this many times, but every time it felt new, like a half remembered dream. Smiling, Addy pulled the hand on his shoulder up to his cheek, tilting her head back to let him see how happy she was.

It's all because of you ooo, all because of you ooo  
I know that if the sky would fall I survived it all  
Because of you ooo

I reach for the horizon  
Whenever I get days of doubt, bringing me down  
So even if disaster strikes I close my eyes and then I'm next to you  
I'm right there with you ooo, hey  
Yeah isn't it crazy, yeah isn't it crazy  
It's all because of you ooo, all because of you ooo  
It's all because of you ooo, all because of you ooo  
I know that if the sky would fall I survived it all  
Because of you ooo

Jason looked at her as he sang, his clear baritone eliciting sighs from young women and sobs from older, men either pleased to hear the young man or jealous of the attention he was getting.

It's all 'cause of you, because of you, because of you  
It's all 'cause of you aaahhh  
I know that if the sky would fall I survived it all  
Because of you oo aaahh  
I know that if the sky would fall I survived it all  
Because of you ooo aahh  
Yeah, yeah

He pulled a string of pearls from his pocket when he halted, ignoring the gasps and camera flashes as he offered the necklace to Addy. Wide eyed, she nodded, sweeping her hair aside so he could clasp it at her neck, his callused fingers pausing at her nape.

Bruce came to them then, kissing Addy's forehead before wrapping Jason in a hug. Jason returned the hug, turning to receive handshakes from his brothers and a hug from his stepmother (to be).


End file.
